1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the purification of drinking water and, more specifically, to a culinary water treatment system for reducing minerals and organisms in fresh water.
2. Background of the Invention
Water treatment systems for culinary water typically address either the problem of contamination or the problem of high mineral content separately. For instance, a variety of methods are employed for reducing contaminants to acceptable levels. These include the use of various disinfectants including chlorine, the use of positively-charged filtration systems, the use of reverse osmosis, the use of coagulants, the use of activated charcoal and activated carbon filters and the use of various filter media. Similarly, a variety of methods are employed for reducing unacceptable mineral content to improve the quality of drinking water. These include aeration, fogging and misting the water stream combined with filtration.
At least one attempt has been made to combine both decontamination and treatment for mineral content. U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,539 to Ubelhor entitled Point of Entry Water Treatment System discloses a point of entry water treatment system. Components mounted on a base frame are interconnected and provide a system and method for treating freshwater, including from a lake, river, well or cistern, to provide potable water. A pre-filter removes sediment and reduces turbidity, followed by chlorine disinfection of the water. In a final step water passes through an activated carbon filter to remove remaining free disinfectant and by-products resulting from the application of the disinfectant. Ubelhor teaches a system including at least three separate vessels, a sediment pre-filter, a mixing tank and a pressure tank.
It may be therefore desirable to provide a system and method for treating fresh water that includes a relatively cost efficient means for controlling the mixture of a disinfectant with the water. Advantage may also be found in a system that combines the processes of reducing water contaminants and undesirable mineral content concentrations to acceptable levels. Additionally, there may be advantage in combining the above functionality in an appliance having a footprint no greater than a footprint of the larges vessel involved in the process.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for treating fresh water that includes a relatively cost efficient means for controlling the mixture of a disinfectant with the water. Another object of the present invention is to combine the processes of reducing water contaminants and undesirable mineral content concentrations to acceptable levels in a single appliance. It is also an advantage of the present invention to combine the processes of reducing water contaminants and undesirable mineral content concentrations to acceptable levels in an appliance having a footprint no greater than a footprint of the largest vessel involved in the process.